Electric-furnace-resistor supporting means



April 13 1926.

T. A. REID ELECTRIC FURNACE RESISTOR SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Feb. 23, 1922 20 lNVENTOR 7770mm? A-Re/a WBY ATTIORNEY WITNESSESZ C flwfl 21 Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlce.

THOMAS A. REID, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A GOB-PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-FURNACE-RESISTOR SUPPORTING MEANS.

Application filed February 23, 1922. Serial No. 538,542.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. REID, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of WVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric- F urnace-Resistor Supporting Means, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric furnaces and particularly to electric resistance furnaces and it has for one of its objects to provide a relatively simple and easily assembled and disassembled heating element for an electric resistance furnace.

Another of its objects is to so form a metallic resistor member that it may be removably supported by only its ends.

Another of its objects is to provide a refractory support for a relatively heavy preformed resistor member that shall permit of quickly removing the resistor therefrom.

In practising my invention, I provide a furnace chamber in which is located a relatively heavy resistor member preformed to comprise a plurality of substantially parallel-extending, end-connected convolutions, which end connections are bent at substantially a right angle to the plane of the convolutions. I provide a plurality of spacedapart sets of relatively narrow refractory supporting members of substantially T- shape, each member having a plurality of grooves in the inner surfaces of the inner end for operatively engaging the bent-over ends of the resistor member. The furnace is so constructed as to permit of inserting and removing the refractory supporting members laterally of the furnace chamber.

In the single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, in- Vertical lateral cross-section, of an electric resistance furnace comprising a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section thereof taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of a preformed resistor member;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the resistor member illustrated in Fig. 8, and

Fig. 5 is a view, in perspective, of one of the refractory resistor supporting members.

An electric resistance furnace comprises an outer metallic framework. or skeleton 11 provided with suitable supporting members 12. A refractory lining comprlses a fioor 13, side walls 14 and a roof 15. I The lining may comprise a plurality of bricks or blocks of any suitable refractory heat-insulating and high-temperature resisting material usually employed in the construction of such furnaces. Vhile I have shown only a single lining for the fioor and the side walls, it is to be understood that two linings may be employed if desired. The roof and the side walls are suitably spaced apart so as to form a furnace chamber 16 of any suitable or desired contour and dimensions. I The roof 15 is provided with an inner lining 17 comprising a plurality of bricks or blocks of a suitable high-temperature resisting refractory material, the bricks or blocks being built up in spaced-apartsections to provide a plurality of chambers 18 therebetween. The bricks or blocks adjacent the chambers 18 are provided with overhanging shoulder portions 19 so that the chamber 18 is of substantially T-shape. A plurality of relatively narrow refractory resistor-supporting members 20, of substantially T-shape, have their outer ends located in the chambers 18, being supported by the shoulder portions 19. The inner end of the members 20 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves 21 located in the inner surface of the end portion thereof.

A block 22 of a suitable refractory material and of substantially L-shape is located at one end of each of the chambers 18 and substantially as thick as the width of the chamber. Two suitably shaped refractory blocks 23 and 24 are located within the block 22 and are quickly removable therefrom into the chamber 16, the block 23 being, of course, removed first. The members 20 may then be inserted into and removed from their proper position within the inner lining 17 through the space made vacant by the removal of the blocks23 and 24.

A resistor member 25 comprises a plurality of end-connected and substantially parallel-extending convolutions formed of a relatively heavy and unyielding metallic rod or bar, the end connections being bent at tions may be made sufliciently large to permit of a single integral resistor member extending entirely across the width of the furnace chamber so that it is necessary to bring out only two end portions 26 through suitable enin s in the furnace structure. If desire a' p urality of resistor members 25 may be located longitudinally of the furnace chamber and, if desired, the individual resistor members may be connected in series circuit relat1on,thus requir ng that only two 1 end portions 26 be brought out for the entire heating element of the furnace.

If it is assumed that the resistor member has been preformed to the proper dimen- 'sions and spacing between the parallelextendin convolutions and with the bentdown en connections, the method of assembly is substantially as follows:

The resistor member is held in substantially itsproper operative position in the .120 completely fill these chambers and with 1 of t e resistor to support the same; While lotions;

furnace chamber immediately below the lin-, ing 17 and the refractory supporting mem-' bars 20 are inserted in the opening provided by the removed refractory members 23 and 24 laterally of the furnace until a sufiicient number have been inserted with their outer ends ineach of the chambers 18 the roo'ves 21 engaging the bent-down ends I have illustrated six such refractory members as extending across the width of the" furnace chamber, alarge numbermay be' employed, and it is not essential that the members 20 are located in abutting relation, I

but they may be spaced apart relatively small distances, in accordance with the distance between therespective end connections at each 'end of the resistor. members.

- It is, of course, apparent that the lateral width of the blocks 23 and 24 must be.

slightly greater than the length of the memhere 20 to permit oft-their being easily, and quickly inserted'in and removed from their proper operative position in the furnace structure.-

' The device embodying my invention thus provides a relatively simple and easily assembled and disassembled heating element where a relatively heavy'and preformed re-- sistor member is employed, in which only I the ends of the resistor members are in operative engagement with a refractory-resistor support, theresistor member being, of course, substantially self-supporting therebetween. By bending down the end connections of the convolutions-and causing them tofit into relatively deep grooves, the middle portions of the convolutions. of the resistor member are prevented from sagging any relatively large distance by the substantial interlocking of the bent-down end connections withthe projecting shoulder portionsof the inner end of the refractory supporting member immediately outside of and adjacent the grooves.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention without departing from the s irit and scope thereof and I desire that on y such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric resistance furnace, in combination, a relatively heavy resistor preformed to comprise a plurality of integral substantially parallel-extending, end-connected convolutions and grooved means for supporting said resistors by portions thereof immediately adjacent to and including the end-connections at both ends thereof, the re- -3. In an electric resistance furnace, in

combination, a plurality of walls enclosing a furnace chamber, a plurality of spaced-apart sets of refractory members, of substantially :r-shape, supported by said walls and having ortions extending into said furnace cham r, and a relatively heavy preformed resistor member comprising a plurality of substantially arallel-extending end-connected convolutions, the end portions of said convolutions, only, operatlvely engaging "said portions of T-shape to support sai resistor members in said furnace chamber.

4. In. an electric reslstance furnace, 1n combination, a plurallty of walls enclosing a furnace chamber, a plurality of spaced-apart sets of refractory members supported bysaid walls (and having a portion extending into the furnace chamber provided with lateral extensions having spaced-apart grooves on the 'inner faces thereof, and a relatively vheavy preformed resistor member comprising a plurality of substantially paralleh extending end-connected convolutions, the end connections being bent at substantially a'right angle to the plane of said convolutions to be located in said grooves to support the resistor.

5. In an electric-resistance furnace, in combination, a plurality of grooved refractory members, and a relatively heavy resistor having return-bent end portions bent as an angle to the plane of the main portions thereof, both end portions being located in said rooved refractory members.

6. 11 an electric-resistance furnace, in combination, a plurality of spaced and parallel-extending refractory members having a groove therein, and a relatively heavy resistor having return-bent end portions bent at right angles to the plane of the main portions of said resistor and fitting in said grooves.

7. In an electric-resistance furnace, in

combination, a plurality of spaced sets of elongated refractory members, of substantially Tshape in lateral section, and a relatively heavy preformed resistor member having return-bent end portions bent at substantially a right angle to the plane of the resistor and interfitting With the members of T-shape to support the Weight substantially equally from each set. y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day of February, 1922.

THOMAS A. REID. 

